LIGJET E BIZNESIT
Security and international relations are sensitive topics at the moment due to geopolitical developments in Europe and around the world. For the Balkans, they require in-depth analysis and careful actions.
Dr. Glevin Dervishi, a researcher in international relations and security issues with 14 years of experience in the country’s main institutions and currently a member of AFA – Ministry of Defense, brings a perspective on security and international relations.
In the interview with Vaspas, he discusses his book “Security and International Relations,” the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Western Balkans, the challenges of Kosovo, and security policy in Europe. He shares his views on the importance of strengthening defense capacities, preparedness for potential risks, and the need for strategic engagement for regional peace and stability.
You have published a book with a specific interest, “Security in International Relations.” What do you mainly address in this book, and what are the messages for policymakers that you bring through this book?
The book “Security and International Relations,” co-authored with Colonel (R) Dr. Ahmet LEKA and Dr. Glevin DERVISHI, is an academic text that intertwines two very important elements: security and international relations.
The text is a contribution that serves both academically and theoretically-practically to researchers of defense, security, and international relations at all levels. It also brings a combination of the expertise and specific experience of both authors in their respective fields.
In this book, the views on the concept of security, causes of war, conflict development, and different positions or arguments around it are addressed, along with conflict prevention and the possibility of reducing the intensity of conflicts from both a historical and evolutionary perspective.
Additionally, the book covers the link between security and international relations, as well as the interaction with military force as an instrument for protecting state interests or exercising influence. The reader will be introduced to an overview of the main security documents in our country, the National Security Strategy, and the Military Strategy of the Republic of Albania.
A special place is given to the discipline of international relations, the role of the state, and other actors in international relations, their formative elements, and their role in the system. Another important element is the foreign policy of Albania after 1990, its orientation axes and actions, relations with neighbors, partnerships with strategic allies, and the values and interests articulated for advancing state and national interests.
The text also addresses the challenges we face today, the need to address them, and the means to respond to these challenges. Equally important is the role of naval power as an important element of influence, the implementation of maritime law, and Albania’s context in relation to delimitation processes with our maritime neighbors, as an area where strategic interests for national security and regional or broader influence are set and developed.
Today, we are in very sensitive conditions with many developments in international relations, especially due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. What should the Balkans and Albania, in particular, keep in mind?
Unfortunately, most of the challenges our continent faces today often have deep roots in history, and they often develop on a certain foundation, where understanding the past is a fundamental condition for sketching the future.
Our region has gone through a difficult journey to institutionalize peace, a peace that should not be taken for granted. The situation in our region, the effects of the war in Ukraine, and the destabilizing tendencies faced by the development and integration agenda of the Western Balkans from third-party actors make the interaction and completion of the EU membership process more immediate, as a project of peace and development.
Frequent conflict cases are occurring in the North of Kosovo, indicating that peace has not been fully established. How do you view the issue of Kosovo? Is there room for concern, interaction, or movement, and if so, what should these actions be, from Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, and the EU?
One of the chapters of this book is precisely about the political, diplomatic, and military processes that led to the dissolution of Yugoslavia and its legacy in the Western Balkans. It addresses a series of challenges left by its dissolution in the republics that emerged from this process, as well as the respective models for addressing these challenges.
The developments that took place last year in the north of Kosovo are a signal showing that dark forces in our region still have an agenda entirely different from the geopolitical orientation, affiliation, and interests of the people of Kosovo. Kosovo today is a vibrant democracy, oriented towards the rule of law, committed to being a state for all its citizens, equality of opportunity, but still must face forces that seek to return our region to the decades of the past.
Thanks to NATO’s presence in Kosovo, but also Kosovo’s orientation towards peace, not to mention its contribution to NATO, Kosovo enjoys special attention from the organization. However, destabilizing tendencies have highlighted the need for a solid alliance presence in Kosovo.
Finally, many investments are being made in the field of security, even the production of weapons is among the highest. Is the EU sufficiently prepared for a potential threat, and how do you see the perspective of international conflicts?
The war in Ukraine and its geopolitical implications have brought back the need for more focus and investment in defense and security. This situation should be seen as a good opportunity to conduct a clear analysis of the capacities, needs, and necessary investments within national security, but also in collective security and our role within NATO’s security framework.
Our country has transitioned in the past 30 years from a highly militarized society to a stage where defense was a non-prioritized sector. However, recent developments call for a reorientation of focus and policies that allow the strengthening of capacities, techniques, and the proper financial instruments to increase our engagement within the alliance.
In recent days, the EU has presented a plan for the rearmament of Europe, which foresees the engagement of around 860 billion euros in investments and projects for the security of the continent. Just a few years ago, it was almost unthinkable to consider the EU as an organism concerned with military matters, but the current challenge has revealed another aspect: the union’s flexibility in quickly adapting to new realities.
Given what you’ve discussed regarding the past, can you provide a parallel about what should be avoided and how to act to stay away from a potential conflict over territories and armed conflicts?
The history of our continent, and of the world, has passed through the motto “If you want peace, prepare for war,” which today remains as relevant as ever. The increase in military capacities, in many cases, has served as a deterrent instrument for destructive forces, so both NATO and the EU have focused on increasing defense spending, rearmament, and boosting national resilience capacities, which actually make up the majority of collective security within an alliance.
Maintaining and strengthening the transatlantic link is essential for us and our region, of course, responding with the speed that time demands in relation to processes that guarantee security. Continuing the commitment to democratization, peace, integration, peaceful conflict resolution, and interaction with all actors promoting freedom and universally accepted norms of international law is essential for us and our nation.
We must understand as a society that investments in defense and each of us contributing to national defense and security issues is not only a mission or duty, but it concerns the belonging to values that keep us united as a nation and society, as well as what we will pass on to our children, so we must embrace without hesitation any initiative that comes in this direction.
What lessons from the past should we consider moving forward?
For our good fortune as a nation, we Albanians have, at certain moments, known how to align ourselves on the right side of history, and throughout our existence as a state, we have only positive records in this regard. I am convinced that belief in the right values and following our trajectory is the right compass to navigate through times like those we are living.
